"We haven't seen any smoke on the horizon. People are firing guns in defiance. We're in the loyalist heartland here where people are utterly defiant of the international effort to force Gaddafi to surrender, as they would see it.

"The anti-aircraft fire has not been as intense [as Monday night when two naval installations outside the city were hit]. Perhaps they feel in the immediate neighbourhood that most of the significant targets have already been hit."

The AFP news agency reported that at least two blasts were heard at a distance before the capital's air defences opened fire.

Several strong detonations followed, said the journalists who were unable to determine the site of the explosions.

They said anti-aircraft fire streaked into the night sky for around 10 minutes, especially in the area near Gaddafi's residence, not far from the hotel where the international press corps is housed.

In the previous night's operations, the coalition air campaign suffered its first loss with the crash of a US fighter jet in the rebel-held east.

Both crew ejected safely.

The no-fly zone is intended to protect civilians from attack by forces loyal to Gaddafi in their battles with opposition fighters. The United States announced on Tuesday that it is shifting its focus to widen the no-fly zone across the north African country.

Despite the strikes, Gaddafi has remained defiant. The Libyan leader made a public appearance at his Bab Al-Aziziyah compound in Tripoli that was the target on Sunday of a coalition missile strike, Libyan state television reported.

In televised remarks, Gaddafi said Libya was "ready for battle, be it long or short".

"We will win this battle," footage showed him telling supporters at the compound. "The masses were the strongest anti-air defences."

Fighting rages

The developments came after a day of intense fighting in the three Libyan cities of Misurata, Ajdabiya and Zintan.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi have been shelling Misurata for days, pressing their siege of the embattled western city. Four children were killed in the shelling on Tuesday and at least 40 people were killed on Monday, a resident said.

There was also fierce fighting further east in Ajdabiya. Opposition fighters were seen retreating in the face of an attack by government forces.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from an area close to Ajdabiya, said there had been clashes outside the city.

"There's been heavy fighting and heavy shelling going on ... the rebels told me there have been heavy casualties and there are a number of corpses between here and the town [of Ajdabiya] that they have been unable to reach," he said.

Meanwhile, around 106km south of Tripoli, Libyan pro-democracy fighters forced government troops to withdraw from the outskirts of Zintan, breaking a siege of the town.

A resident of Zintan told the Reuters news agency that at least 10 people were killed in the bombardment by Gaddafi's forces.

"After the bombardment they retreated from the eastern area of Zintan. But they have not withdrawn from the northern area. There is still a huge number of soldiers there, backed with 50 to 60 tanks and several vehicles."

The entire BN system dishes out projects immorally to those who can contribute to finance its activities.

The issue of one being morally fit to hold public office has been raised by those behind a pornographic video tape, reportedly “starring” Anwar Ibrahim and an unknown foreign female “co-star”. The nameless and faceless behind the tape are using their handiwork to tell Anwar and his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to exit the political scene or else…
This particular tape must be in line with what former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad wrote in his biography, A Doctor in the House, about “sexual escapes”, not in general, but only about one particular citizen that he has come to detest with an intensity bordering on pathological, if not congenital, insanity.
Again, it was Mahathir who not so long ago disgusted the nation with the observation that “if they could make Avatar, they can make anything”. The Avatar Syndrome can strike again. Making a porn tape on anyone – even when that person is at that material time with family and company – is child’s play!
By the standards of the porn tape producers, the definition of being morally unfit is confined to being the only “under-worked, bored and over-sexed” legislator in Malaysia. There are no prizes for guessing the prime suspect.
This warped view of morality has obviously been designed to protect all the others who, by any broader definition of “morally unfit”, would be under pressure as well to quit the political scene if they are lucky enough to escape incarceration.
If morality is the issue, it must begin with the ancient Chinese proverb that “the fish rots from the head”. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), however, is deaf, dumb and blind to this and busies itself with the small fry to chalk up an impressive number of cases on file.
The most pertinent issue emanating from this observation is sheer nationwide frustration that Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, for one, appears to live a charmed life despite the volumes written about his profligate lifestyle. Meanwhile, projects are being created in Sarawak for the sake of creating projects and thousands of native customary rights (NCR) lands have been seized by the Taib regime, not for public purpose, but for private gain.
Yet, the makers of the porn tape and the BN have not questioned whether Taib is morally fit to hold public office. In any other nation subscribing to the rule of law, Taib would have been hounded out of public office by the media and incarcerated by the courts. In Malaysia, the mainstream media have been desensitised on corruption to the point of indifference, if not part of the gravy train.Cookie jarTaib is not the only one who has no moral qualms about being caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
The entire ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) system, built on the politics of patronage, dishes out projects immorally left, right and centre to those who can contribute to finance its activities but otherwise undeserving. These projects cost the taxpayers, in the end, anything from double and triple to as much as 10 times the actual worth with a decent profit margin thrown in.
Many people still remember the revelation in Parliament not so long ago that the father-in-law of the then prime minister had a contract with Malaysia Airlines to provide food catering services to the national carrier. One item cited as an example was nasi lemak which cost the passenger RM150. After the ensuing public hue-and-cry, the prime minister did not resign as he should have done. Instead, much was made of the fact that “proper procedures were followed”.
Eventually, the price of the controversial item was cut down to RM75 but still steep compared with the RM8 on board AirAsia and the RM18 at even the best five-star hotel in town.
“Proper procedures” were also cited as the proverbial fig-leaf in explaining away the billions spent on purchasing two unnecessary submarines from France. Again, it was “proper procedures” which gave a RM500 million middle-men contract to an aide of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to act as a go-between in the purchase of the submarines which failed to dive in Sabah, the base, upon arrival.
As a further assault on our collective sense of decency, good behaviour, ethics and morality, two Special Forces popped off a Mongolian lady who interpreted during the submarine negotiations. No one knows, to this day, who instructed them to murder the Mongolian whom they obviously did not know.The rinngit-and-sen side of the moral equation is not the only issue that should trouble all those intent on seeing a clean-up of public life in the country.
The politics of the BN thrives on what separates us as a people as opposed to the opposition’s “what brings us together as a people”. It’s the old colonial divide-and-rule tactics at work again. It seems to favour the ruling elite to make people hate each other with a vengeance.
Elite’s lifestyle
Every possible issue that emerges in public is twisted and turned by Umno into a racial one to pit the Malays and non-Malays against each other. Umno’s idea, given its desperation to enslave the Malay masses, is to scare the community into circling the wagons and seeking shelter under its platform. Total Malay unity under Umno facilitates the ruling elite’s lifestyle at the expense of the nation. Umno has some help here from Perkasa, its poodle masquerading as an NGO under Mahathir’s direction.
If all this isn’t enough to corrupt the soul of the nation, there are other approaches like usurping the power of the King under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and distorting the Malay definition. This has allowed the unilateral extension of the Article outside the four specific areas – civil service, educational institutions, scholarships and business opportunities – to every facet of life in Malaysia at the expense of the nation.
The apartheid-like structure which has descended on Malaysia as a consequence merely favours a tiny minority and their fat cats in tow.
Across the South China Sea, in Sabah and Sarawak, the native majority are denied meaningful participation in the democratic process. Instead, Putrajaya rules the two states through local proxies like Taib in Sarawak and Umno in Sabah. The continued immorality of it does not trouble Peninsular Malaysia but escapes no one in Malaysian Borneo.

While cerebally aware of the trends of future leadership, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seems yet to catch on to its nuances.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has just returned from Sarawak. While there he met with his cyberspace friends – those whom he engages through his Twitter and Facebook.
What did he ask from these people? Najib asked his Facebook friends, especially those who were young, to give him their full support and trust as the nation’s prime minister to deliver a better future for Sarawak.
Saying he was delighted to meet 250 online friends from all over Sarawak for the first time, Najib added that young people should have idealism and expect fair and transparent governance.
Give me your trust and I will do the rest is what, in essence, Najib is saying. What is wrong with this statement?
I suspect Najib is aware of the trends of future leadership. The sources of change and the impetus calling for change are no longer monopolised by old school leadership.
The main characteristic of that kind of leadership is that all changes and innovation come from the top to bottom.
Scholars termed this kind of leadership, the “push-factor” leadership.
In the future it’s no longer that way. One draws parallel, for example, from the dilution of American influence in world geo-politics.
The centre of influence no longer resides solely in Washington. It’s now shared in places like Tokyo, New Delhi and Beijing in addition to its old adversary, Moscow. It’s now a multipolar world.
Similarly, matters that affect the lives of citizens are no longer solely decided by the government of the day.
It is now decided by the people acting in independent groupings or in affiliation with alternative political and social movements.
It’s also a multipolar little world of decision-making centres. The leader now listens to what those governed articulate and talk about.
And after listening to what they talk, Najib asks the people to trust him.Wrong approach
Now, clearly in a “pull-factor” setting – where the leader listens and in turn configures his actions and behaviour according to what he hears – Najib’s invitation to people to trust him is a wrong approach to take.
The right statement the PM should be making is: “People I trust you and your judgment.”
The way Najib goes about framing his statement reminds me of what Milton Friedman wrote on Kennedy’s inaugural speech.
In the 1962 book on “Capitalism and Freedom”, Friedman wrote: “In his ianugural speech President Kennedy said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.’
“Neither half of the statement expresses a relation between the citizen and his government that is worthy of the ideals of free men in a free society.
“The paternalistic ‘what your country can do for you’ implies that government is the patron, the citizen the ward, a view that is at odds with the free man’s belief in his own responsibility for his own destiny.
“The organismic, ‘what you can do for your country’ implies the government is the master or the deity, the citizen, the servant or the votary.
“To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions.
“But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favours and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshipped and served.
“He recognises no national goal except as it is the consensus of the goals that the citizens severally serve.
“He recognises no national purpose except as it is the consensus of the purposes for which the citizens severally strive.
“The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country.
“He will ask rather ‘What can I and my compatriots do through government’ to help us discharge our individual responsibilities, to achieve our several goals and purposes, and above all, to protect our freedom?
“And he will accompany this question with another: ‘How can we keep the government we create from becoming a Frankenstein that will destroy the very freedom we establish it to protect?’”
You will get the same impulses from the soon to be and often quoted passage from Najib: “People, give me your trust….”The writer is a former Umno state rep. This is an excerpt of a comment which first appeared on his blog sakmongkolak47 blog.

Was Anwar’s bid to takeover Putrajaya on 16 September 2008 a “big fat lie” as Najib has claimed? P Ramakrishnan reminds us about a certain trip to Taiwan.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was reported by The Sunday Star (20 March 2011) as having said that PKR had gone to the extent of telling the ‘biggest political lie of the century’ when it announced it would take over the government on 16 September 2008.

“We have to keep repeating this because human memory is short and they forget, but we must remind the people that it was the biggest political lie of the century,’ he said.

He said PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had made the Barisan Nasional worried when he claimed that more than 30 of the coalition’s elected representatives would cross over, “But in the end, it was all a big fat lie’ he added.

I must thank the PM for jogging my memory. The only truth in his statement was that “Datuk Anwar Ibrahim had made the Barisan Nasional worried when he claimed that more than 30 of the coalition’s elected representatives would cross over”. That was a fact. The rest of Najib’s claims about what transpired cannot be said to be the “biggest political lie of the century”. They are Najib’s claims of what happened and they are his lies.

Again, Najib is correct in stating, “We have to keep repeating this because human memory is short and they forget…”

Indeed we have to repeat the past incidents and recall what actually happened so that people can remember the truth.

If the cross over on 16 September 2008 was deemed to be a lie, why did the BN take this lie so seriously by sending some 50 MPs to Taiwan? They were sent, we were then told, on an agricultural tour of Taiwan. But the truth was that the BN was running scared of the possibility of its own MPs switching sides. It did not trust its MPs absolutely.

That was the only reason why the BN wanted to keep these 50-over MPs away from Malaysia. It desperately wanted them to be away from Anwar who was trying to entice some 30 over BN MPs to defect to his side in his campaign to unseat the BN government.

The BN knew that there was this real possibility that its MPs could have provided Anwar the majority that was required to topple the BN government.

There was no other convincing reason why these MPs had to be kept away from Malaysia on 16 September. They could have been sent to Taiwan or to Timbaktu on any other date for whatever course but the BN wasn’t prepared to take any chances by keeping them in Malaysia on 16 September!

So on 8 September – 8 days before 16 September – these MPs were packed off to Taiwan on a “blur blur” tour. One BN MP mentioned that this trip was planned months ago while another contradicted him by claiming it was all so sudden!

Lim Kit Siang alluded to this as “a national shame that BN MPs should be treated like delinquent children who have to be packed off overseas and secluded from mischief – treating BN MPs as no better than chattel. Poor BN MPs!”

John Roberts in an article entitled, “Political power struggle in Malaysia continues unabated” had this to say:

In the lead up to September 16, the government took the extraordinary step of sending nearly 50 BN parliamentarians on a paid trip to Taiwan to study farming techniques. Few believe that farming issues were the reason behind the trip. Among those sent were parliamentarians regarded as most susceptible to being courted by the opposition. PKR secretary general Salehuddin Hashim described the expedition as “kidnapping,” saying it was “a very clear sign of the anxieties and insecurities inside Barisan”.

If the BN had not taken this extraordinary precaution by sending its own MPs away to Taiwan, and on 16 September if Anwar’s bid for power had failed, only then Najib could boast that “it was all a big fat lie”.

Since the BN did not dare take that chance to test the integrity of its own MPs, Najib’s story is nothing but a “big fat lie”.

Five years ago on 21 Mar 2006, Illias Othman died in the Raja Perempuan Zainab (II) Hospital in Kota Baru, Kelantan five hours after being arrested on 21 March 2006.

Then 41 years old, the mechanic had been arrested by officers from the Binjai Police Station for creating a disturbance at the Kampung Pengkalan Datu mosque. He reportedly died of head and body injuries but his family claimed that he had been beaten in custody. However, according to the police, Illias Othman died after he was allegedly beaten by hospital attendants who attempted to restrain him when he “ran amok”.

Five hospital attendants were charged, and four pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Kota Baru Sessions Court. The then-SUHAKAM Commissioner, Datuk N Siva Subramaniam, said this showed the police have taken action against those involved.

An inquest into Ilias Othman’s death was scheduled to commence in October 2007 but it is not clear whether it took place and what, if any, the outcome has been. All custodial deaths are required to be investigated by inquiries conducted pursuant to Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Ilias Othman’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic.

Based on the Royal Malaysia Police’s statistics, 85 persons died in police custody between 2003 and 2007 alone.

We express our heartfelt condolences to Illias Othman’s family and friends on this anniversary of his death.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- The High Court on Wednesday reversed its decision by allowing the prosecution's application to admit three exhibits -- a mineral water bottle, a toothbrush and a morning towel -- but dismissed a second application to compel Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to provide samples for DNA comparison.

Justice Datuk Mohamad Zaidin Mohd Diah ruled that when he made his initial decision after a trial-within-a-trial, the court did not have the testimony of investigation officer Supt Judy Blacious Pereira and arresting officer Supt Ahmad Taufik Abdullah, who confirmed that the arrest on July 16, 2008 was lawful.

"I decided to exclude the exhibits since the prosecution could not tender it at that time (during the trial-within-a-trial) and since this application was made after the evidence of the IO to support the prosecution, (I) now agree with their contention that the arrest of the accused was lawful," ruled Mohamad Zabidin.

On the second application, he said that after looking at the Section 73 and Section 165 of the Evidence Act 1950, there were no provisions for the court to make such an order.

"Both Sections are more about handwritings and fingerprints, and DNA is not included. There is therefore no justification for the court (to make such an order)."

Mohamad Zabidin ordered both the prosecution witnesses, DSP Amidon Anan and chemist Nor Idora Saedon, to be called in as witnesses in tendering the three exibits collected from the cell of the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters where Anwar was detained overnight on July 16, 2008.

On March 8, the High Court allowed the defence's application to exclude the three items.

Anwar, 63, is charged with sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari, 25, at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

DALAT, Vietnam (23 March 2011) – A new report launched today at the 8th meeting of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) reveals that the Bank is not fulfilling its promises to protect the rights of forest peoples. Smoke and Mirrors: a critical assessment of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility by Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) and FERN exposes the World Bank’s failure to uphold its commitments on human rights and its engagement in never-ending changes to its social and environmental policies, weakening its accountability to affected communities and the public. Co-author of the report, Francesco Martone, FPP policy advisor, said:

The FCPF is backsliding on its social commitments, using a smokescreen of constantly changing standards and guidance notes that pay lip service to forest peoples’ rights, governance and benefit-sharing without clear binding rules that would hold the Bank and recipient governments accountable. The whole question of which standards apply to the FCPF has just become more complicated as the Fund now plans to use different international agencies to implement its projects...

The FCPF is administered by the World Bank. It is one of the main international climate initiatives set up to fund developing country schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). The report finds serious faults in government proposals seeking FCPF funding for planning and preparation activities in support of REDD schemes. It finds that while proposals for monitoring and measuring forest carbon are well-advanced, plans for activities that could actually reduce deforestation, such as clarifying and securing land rights and dealing with corruption and weak governance in the forest sector, are poor. Kate Dooley, FERN’s policy advisor, said:

In none of the eight REDD preparation plans developed by the governments of Panama, Guyana, Peru, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Nepal and Indonesia are land rights adequately addressed or existing land conflicts acknowledged. Proposals for governance reform are often limited to setting up new institutions to oversee forest carbon trading, at the expense of legal reform, including land tenure.

Many of the governments applying for funds have laws and national policies which are contrary to their international obligations to respect the rights of indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities. Smoke and Mirrors shows that these shortcomings are ignored in REDD “readiness” proposals and, more worryingly, indigenous peoples and local communities are often unjustly blamed for deforestation. Onel Masardule of the Foundation for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge in Panama said:

The FCPF must uphold indigenous peoples’ rights in line with its commitments. FCPF decisions on financing for national proposals for REDD must respect the demands of indigenous peoples without whom forest and climate schemes will not work. Full respect for our right to free, prior and informed consent is essential, yet this fundamental safeguard is missing in FCPF policies and World Bank safeguards...

In Peru the government plans for REDD have attracted heavy criticism from indigenous peoples’ organisations for failing to address land conflicts and outstanding territorial claims. Daysi Zapata, Vice President of AIDESEP in Peru said:

The FCPF says that all its activities will ensure that countries meet their obligations to respect the rights of indigenous peoples, yet state plans in Peru are not respecting our collective rights, including our rights to territories and free prior and informed consent. We have not travelled for two days to reach Vietnam for nothing: we have come here to obtain firm guarantees that our rights will be respected and that the FCPF lives up to its promises....

The authors of the report are further concerned that the FCPF intends to move ahead with plans to make agreements to pay governments from its Carbon Fund before countries have completed the preparatory work that is required to ensure that future actions to curb forest emissions are fully sustainable.

The report concludes that the FCPF Carbon Fund and finance for emission reduction agreements must not move ahead until readiness actions are completed and the social and environmental safeguards are strong enough to uphold human rights and protect the environment.

A stray pariah dog wandered into a Malay compound one day. The Malays being kind and simple took care of the pariah dog.Everyday the pariah dog barked at strangers and the Malays thought... ok let’s keep this pariah dog and for it barks for us.As the days went by the pariah dog became more and more brave.It now knew that the Malays could be manipulated and decided to write a book on the Malay Dilemma and barked and barked saying that the strangers (Chinese and Indians) were taking away their food and rights.The Malays listened and trusted it. They kept feeding it and it kept barking and barking until one day it took over the whole compound. This time if any Malay protested it bit them.Many were bitten if they did not agree or go along with him.The Malays now do not know what to do with this stray pariah dog ....it keeps barking and barking... today the pariah dog has successfully barked and separated Malays from the others.Once upon a time the Malays, way before this stray pariah dog came, no one saw colours, no one saw religion.By a twist of fate this stray pariah dog is now worshipped today as pedigree dog by a group of his own stray pariah dogs. It's high time they put the stray pariah dog to sleep before the whole village is destroyed.

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashed in Libya after experiencing an equipment malfunction, but both crew members ejected safely and are now out of Libya and in U.S. hands, the U.S. military and a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

A pilot and weapons officer aboard an F-15E Strike Eagle had flown from Aviano Air Base in Italy to Libya when the fighter experienced problems, the U.S. military command for Africa said in a statement. Both pilots ejected, the statement said.

The pilot and weapons officer suffered minor injuries but landed safely in two different places on Libyan soil, the military said.

The U.S. military dispatched a pair of Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge, about 100 miles off the coast of Libya, to pick up the pilot. He was then flown to the vessel, which has extensive medical facilities, military officials said.

Libyan rebels recovered the second crew member and "took good care of him" until coalition forces were able to reach him, a senior defense official said.

Residents in the area, some of whom witnessed the crash, told CNN that they combed farmlands to search for the downed pilots and expressed their gratitude to coalition members.

The jet was based out of the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath, England. It flew to Libya as part of a United Nations-authorized coalition attack on Libyan air defense targets meant to protect civilians in that country.

The crash was "not due to enemy or hostile actions," said Kenneth Fidler, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command.

The international mission to weaken the force of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has stopped the ruler's momentum, a U.S. official said.

However, criticism and questions about the operation persist, with no clear answer on who will take over command of the military operation and what the end game or exit strategy will be.

Missiles and anti-aircraft fire pierced the night sky in Tripoli hours before dawn broke Tuesday, the fourth day of the multinational effort against pro-Gadhafi forces.

The Libyan government took international journalists to a port area that appeared to have been damaged by missile strikes that left craters 15-feet deep. A destroyed mobile rocket launcher system lay smoldering. Several warehouses were hit.

The United States fired 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya in the past 12 hours, a military spokeswoman said early Tuesday morning. A total of 159 Tomahawks have been fired by the United States and the United Kingdom since Operation Odyssey Dawn started Saturday. The mission includes enforcement of a no-fly zone.

Cmdr. Monica Rousselow also said one of the three U.S. submarines that participated at the beginning of the operation has since departed the area.

The international operation has targeted air defense sites and command centers. But Gadhafi himself has not been targeted, and there are no plans to kill the leader, said Gen. Carter Ham, the head of U.S. forces in Africa.

"I could see accomplishing the military mission, which has been assigned to me, and the current leader would remain the current leader," he said.

"We think we have been very effective in degrading his ability to control his regime forces."

Ham said no Libyan aircraft have been observed flying since the military operations began Saturday. And air attacks have stopped Libyan ground forces from approaching the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

In Misrata, a city under siege two hours east of Tripoli, staff at the central hospital said at least nine people were killed in clashes Tuesday, raising the death toll to at least 77 in the last three days. The hospital has "stopped counting the injured," a staffer told CNN.

Gadhafi -- who has not spoken publicly since he promised a "long-drawn war" with "the new Nazis" on Sunday -- has announced a cease-fire. But bloodshed in Misrata indicated a very different reality, according to an opposition spokesman.

The spokesman, Mohamed -- who would not divulge his last name due to concern for his safety -- said Monday the destruction in the key city was "unimaginable" and that Misrata was bombarded heavily over the past four days by forces loyal to Gadhafi.

"He keeps talking about a cease-fire, but he hasn't observed that for one minute here," Mohamed said.

"We are in urgent need of help," he said. "Please, please, please. The situation in Misrata is very dire and very dangerous."

Violence has raged in Libya following protests calling for democracy and demanding an end to Gadhafi's almost 42-year-long rule. Protesters have been met by force from the Gadhafi regime, and numerous world leaders -- including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon -- have denounced the killings of civilians by Gadhafi's troops.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution Thursday that allows member states "to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country ... while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory." It also imposed a no-fly zone.

Barak Barfi, a research fellow with the New America Foundation, said "it's certainly clear" that the allied coalition has stymied the onslaught of Gadhafi troops against rebels in eastern Libya.

"Before the decision in the U.N. was taken Thursday, it seemed like Gadhafi was going to overrun the opposition in a matter of days," he said.

But "it's unclear if the rebels can form under any type of organized command and move forward now that the airstrikes have taken away Gadhafi's offensive capabilities," Barfi said Tuesday. "It's unclear at this point in time who would take control after Gadhafi leaves. We know that there are really no state institutions in Libya."

A former Gadhafi aide told CNN Tuesday that the Libyan strongman would not go down easily.

Abubaker Saad said Gadhafi has several bunkers deep underground and is likely hiding in one of them.

"As you probably all have noticed that now he is giving all of his statements by phone to the Libyan television," Saad said.

Anti-Gadhafi Libyans have expressed gratitude for the foreign intervention. In Benghazi, people said loyalist forces would have massacred them if they had been able to enter the city.

The international military coalition focused Monday on extending the no-fly zone to al-Brega, Misrata and then to Tripoli, a distance of about 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles).

The Spanish parliament Tuesday approved Spanish military participation in the international coalition operating in Libya. Canadian and Belgian forces joined coalition forces Monday, he said, and aircraft carriers from Italy and France have added "significant capability" in the region.

The United Arab Emirates had been prepared to send two squadrons to participate in the international effort, said retired Maj. Gen. Khaled Abdullah Al-Buainnain -- the former commander of the Emirates' air force and air defense.

However, he said, those plans have changed due to criticism by the United States and the European Union of the Gulf Cooperation Council's deployment of troops to help the monarchy stabilize Bahrain.

The UAE has chosen not to take a military role in Libya until Washington and the European Union clarify their position on the use of troops in Bahrain, but it will contribute to the humanitarian effort in Libya, Al-Buainnain said.

About 80 sorties were flown Monday -- more than half of them by air forces representing countries other than the United States, Ham said.

But support for the attacks was not universal. The Russian government said the mission has killed innocent civilians and urged more caution. India, China and Venezuela have also spoken out against the airstrikes.

The Libyan government said over the weekend that 48 people -- mostly women, children and clerics -- have died in allied attacks.

U.S. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, however, has said there is no indication of any civilian casualties. And France -- which conducted the first strike in Libya on Saturday when fighter jets fired at a military vehicle -- also disputed claims of civilian deaths.

The bloodshed in Libya has displaced thousands from their home and created shortages of food, medicine and other basic items, United Nations agencies said Tuesday.

The Human Rights Party (HRP) became the first complainant against Malaysia to the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging what it calls a “mini genocide” murder of five ethnic minority Indians and over 100 injured in the Kampung Medan incident in 2001.

HRP also wants the ICC to set up a fact-finding mission and come to Malaysia to investigate its complaints on the ethnic Indian minority.

Its pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar (left), in an official letter to ICC today, claimed that the last 20 years had seen the poor Indian community to be the most vulnerable and softest target. They are allegedly subjected to state-sponsored acts of violence, racism and religious extremism.

Highlighting the findings of the Malaysian Indian minority and human rights violations annual report from 2008 to 2010, Uthayakumar claimed the Indian community, which accounts for eight percent of the Malaysian population, have been subjected to systematic “ethnic cleansing”.

“Their villages and settlements have been demolished, temples indiscriminately demolished - even up to one Hindu temple demolished every 10 days, and 96 Hindu temples demolished between 2004 and 2007 in the state of Selangor alone, as revealed by the Selangor menteri besar,” he said.

“Further, their Hindu cemeteries and ethnic Tamil schools are systematically demolished. The latest case is the Bukit Jalil Estate in Selangor, where the last ethnic Indian plantation village, Hindu temple, Hindu cemetery and ethnic Tamil school was almost “ethnically cleansed” on March 15 to make way for a Malay Muslim cemetery.”

A copy of the letter was made available to Malaysiakini. Uthayakumar claims Indian poor segregated

Uthayakumar said the Indian poor were segregated and excluded to equality and equal opportunities stipulated in Article 8 of the Malaysian federal constitution, guaranteeing equality before the law and equal protection.

He claimed Indian children were denied birth certificates, and another estimated 300,000 did not get their identity cards.

“They are also denied equal opportunities from the government fully-funded kindergardens, Permata Smart kindergartens, fully-residential schools, matriculation colleges, places in polytechnics and universities, the Public Services Department, the government and government-linked companies (GLCs), or scholarships."

The Indian community was also sidelined from top jobs in the private sector and GLCs, licences and business opportunities, as well as government contracts and supplies and other jobs, Uthayakumar said.

He claimed that in the state-sponsored Kampung Medan “mini genocide” in 2001, ethnic Indians were specifically targeted and attacked, resulting in five murdered and 100 injured.

“We have lodged thousands of police reports, letters and memoranda to the government of Malaysia but to no avail. As a result of championing all this, I, as the pro-tem secretary-general, have been maliciously prosecuted for sedition, where the trial is ongoing and a three-year jail sentence is hanging over my head.”

“This month alone has seen 53 Hindu Rights Action Force activists being maliciously prosecuted in four states for merely being members of the organisation,” he said, adding that he therefore appeals for the ICC to send a preliminary fact-finding mission to Malaysia to investigate the complaints.

Malaysia has ratified the Rome statute to become a member of the ICC this month. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said he was pleased and happy that Malaysia could now be a respected country in the United Nations.

ICC is the first and only independent judicial institution with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of international concern, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

Information and Evidence Unit E-Mail : otp.informationdesk@lcc-cpi.int
Office of the Prosecutor Fax : +31705158555
International Criminal Court (I.C.C)
PO Box 19519,
2500 CM, The Hague,
The Netherlands.
Dear Sirs,Re : 1) State sponsored crimes against humanity in Malaysia – first complaint to ICC 2) Kampong Medan “mini genocide” murder of 5 ethnic minority Indians and 100 over caused grievous bodily injuries. 3) ICC Fact Finding Mission to Malaysia.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We refer to the above matter wherein Malaysia has on 18/3/2011 ratified the Rome Convention and henceforth became a member of the International Criminal Court (I.C.C) (NST 22/3/2011 at page 12).
We wish to lodge the very first formal complaint against Malaysia to the International Criminal Court as follows:-
1) In over at least the last 20 years, the most vulnerable and softest target up to even sixth generation Malaysian born ethnic minority Malaysian Indians have been subjected to state sponsored acts violence, racism and religious extremism via state policies as is especially outlined in the last three years of our annual Human Rights Reports as follows:-1) MALAYSIAN INDIAN MINORITY & HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ANNUAL REPORT 20102) Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2009

The main complaint as per our aforesaid reports are that this mere 8% of the Malaysian population ethnic Indian minority community have been subjected to systematic “ethnic cleansing” ie their villages and settlements demolished, their hindu temples indiscriminately demolished even up to one hindu temple demolished in every ten days- 96 hindu temples were demolished between 2004 and 2007 in the state of Selangor alone as revealed by the Chief Minister of Selangor at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly on 29/10/2010 (see Tamil Nesan 30/10/2010 at page 3). Further their hindu cemeteries and ethnic Tamil schools systematically demolished etc.
The latest case in point is the Bukit Jalil Estate in Selangor where the last ethnic Indian plantation village, their hindu temple, hindu cemetery and ethnic Tamil school was on 15/3/11 almost “ethnically cleansed” via a government Notice and in a matter of time slated to be systematically “ethnically cleansed” to make way for a Malay Muslim cemetery.
On a day to day basis and from womb to tomb the Indian poor are segregated and excluded to equality and equal opportunities in direct contrevention of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees Equality before the law and equal protection of the law beginning from an estimated 150,000 up to even sixth generation Malaysian born ethnic Indian children being denied their Birth Certificates and another estimated 300,000 their Identity Cards. Denied equal opportunities and segregated beginning from being denied places in government fully funded kindergardens, Permata Smart kindergardens, fully residential schools, Matriculation Colleges, Polytechnics University places, JPA, Government and Government Linked Companies (GLC)/ bodies scholarships locally and overseas, due government jobs, due Managerial, Executive and top jobs in the private sector and GLC ,due licences, business opportunities government contracts and supplies and other jobs. And racism and religious supremacy in just about every facet of their daily lives.
The tip of the iceberg example is that in Malaysia a poor ethnic Indian will be denied even a licence and business opportunity to open even a vadai (Indian cake) stall. A poor ethnic Indian will not be taken in even as an office boy in a government department when Sir Anand Satchianand, a first generation ethnic Indian can even become the Governor General New Zealand.
All what the UMNO led Malaysian government does and in fact have done extremely well is to flaunt the odd and exceptional ( 0.1% -1%) showcases of all the above to the world and create the impression and perception that the Indians are not segregated and excluded.
We also wish to lodge a formal complaint on the state sponsored Kampong Medan “mini genocide” in 2001where ethnic Indians were specifically targeted and attacked leaving five (5) murdered and 100 over caused grievous bodily injuries ( photos of the gruesome injuries is enclosed herewith).
We have lodged thousands of police reports and written thousands of pages of letters and memorandums to the government of Malaysia but to no avail. Some 35 of our Memorandums are as per the Appendix I and which is enclosed herewith.
For championing these very serious grievances via peaceful means, our lawyer and Secretary general (pro tem) P. Uthayakumar has been maliciously prosecuted for Sedition, the trial ongoing and a three year jail sentence hanging over his head. In this month alone (March 2011) 53 Hindraf activists have been maliciously prosecuted in four states for merely being a member of Hindraf, a minority and human rights NGO, the world’s only Human Rights NGO to have ever been outlawed.
Further and better particulars are documented on a day to day basis in our official website www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com.
We hereby appeal for ICC to send a preliminary Fact Finding Mission to Malaysia to independently investigate this our aforesaid complaint.
Should your goodselves require any further documents or information we shall be happy to furnish the same.
Kindly revert to us accordingly.
Thank you,
Yours faithfully,
……………………….
P. Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)Appendix 1

Malaysian Bar (Council) Resolutions (1999-2007) proposed by myself:-
1) Immediately set up and independent commission of inquiry to investigate the Attorney General fully and make its findings public.(arising from Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s case) (54th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 1999/2000 Annual Report 18th March 2000, Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
2) Protesting 3.1 person per week shot dead by police of which 60% are Malaysian Indians. (56th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 2001/02 Annual Report 23rd March 2002, Crown Princess Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
3) Royal Commission of Enquiry on the Kg Medan racial attacks, government failing to protect Indians. Ag to prosecute the Kg Medan criminals who killed 5 Indians and grievous bodily injuries to 100 over other etc. (57th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 2002/03 Annual Report 22nd March 2003, Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
4) Motion calling for mandatory Inquiry and appropriate criminal action into all cases of death by police shooting, deaths in police custody and all six (6) deaths in the Kg.Medan racial attacks (not racial clashes) targeted at the innocent minority Malaysian Indian Community. . (Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 2003/04 Annual Report 20th March 2004, Crown Princess Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
5) Motion of no confidence against the Attorney General of Malaysia and the Inspector General of Police Malaysia. (Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 2003/04 Annual Report 20th March 2004, Crown Princess Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
6) Motion 8.3 on P.Uthayakumar being (falsely prosecuted) for criminal Intimidation by the Attorney General in arising out of the pro bono Inquest into death in police custody of S.Tharmarajah (19) (58th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysia Bar Council 2003/04 Annual Report 20th March 2004, Crown Princess Hotel Kuala Lumpur).(proposed by M.Manogar)
7) Item 5 A (iii) of the amendum to the agenda-
Motion of no confidence (and Motion on mandatory inquest) against the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police Malaysia (Proposed by P.Uthayakumar) (59th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar Council 2004/05 Annual Report 19th March 2005, Notel Nikko Kuala Lumpur). Item 5 (vii) Motion by P.Uthayakumar Seconder: M.Manogar
Motion on Independent Police Investigations Tribunal, and Attorney General to prosecute without fear or favour all and any criminal abuse of police powers. (60th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar Council 2005/06 Annual Report 18th March 2006, Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
9) Resolution at Bar Council AGM 2006 on 5A.5 Motion for the Bar Council of Malaysia to institute Public Interest Litigation to compel the Government of Malaysia to form and implement the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) within two (2) weeks from 31.5.2006. 5A.6 Motion of no confidence against the Attorney General for being extremely slow in prosecuting criminal abuse of police powers (only 0.01% of the cases). (61st Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar Council 2006/07 Annual Report 17th March 2007, Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur).
10) Item 8 (e)(i) of Motion dated 9/2/07 that the Bar Council files a Civil suit that the IPCMC be implemented, Motion of no confidence against the Attorney General for not prosecuting criminal policemen. (62nd Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar Council 2007/08 Annual Report 15th March 2008, Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur).

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The Najib administration relented today to demands from the Church not to attach serial numbers to impounded Malay-language Bibles as it prepares itself to face a Christian-majority electorate in Sarawak in the coming state polls.

It also promised that all future shipments of such holy books written in the national language would be released as long as they sported the words “For Christianity” in the Arial font, size 16, either printed at source or stamped at the receiving port.

For the consignment of 35,100 Alkitabs still held in Port Klang and Kuching Port, the administration said it was willing to provide “stickers” to cover the present stamps and serial numbers already marked on the books.

Should this fail to be satisfactory, it also said that it had made arrangements with Christian donors to help replace the entire consignment of Bibles with new ones, which will then be stamped only with the words “For Christianity”.

The announcement was made in a statement released to Bernama today by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala following a meeting held last week between government leaders and Christian groups.

“An arrangement has been made by the government with the help of Christian donors to pay for the cost of all 30,000 impounded Bibles in Kuching and the 5,100 Bibles in Port Klang free of charge.

“The importer can take these Bibles completely free of charge at no cost.

“If the Christian groups do not wish to take the Bibles, then the Christian donors have agreed to pay for the cost of bringing in new Bibles as replacement and these will be printed or stamped with the words ‘For Christianity’,” Jala said.

No other words or serial numbers, he added, would be marked on the holy books in future shipments.

The government had last Tuesday ordered the release of the 35,100 Alkitabs but on condition that they were stamped with serial numbers and a Home Ministry seal that reads, “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri” [In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister”].

Following the order, the books were then stamped at both ports without the permission of the importers, earning the ministry criticisms from the Church community and many political parties.

The importers of both consignments later refused to retrieve the shipments, charging that the government had defaced the holy scriptures.

But Jala pointed today to a statement from Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that the practice of stamping and serialising the books was a standard protocol that was even used on the Quran.

“Qurans which are imported into the country are also checked as authorised copies and are stamped with serial numbers before they are released.

“Qurans which are not authorised are impounded and destroyed. The act of stamping and serialisation of the Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and the Qurans should not be perceived as desecration of holy scriptures,” said Jala.

“The focus should be on getting the Bibles into the hands of people who want to read them; it has been established that the Home Affairs Ministry is not singling out the Bibles for stamping and serialisation because this is also the same practice as they appear in the Quran,” he added.

Despite this, however, Jala noted that the government was willing to forgo its practice to serialise the Christian Bibles and to ensure there was no misrepresentation in implementation by civil servants on the matter, a special directive would be issued by the Home Ministry’s director-general.

“As with all similar directives, failure to comply with this directive will subject the relevant officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders,” he said.

Jala said the meeting with Christian leaders had been called on Friday, March 18 following a special Cabinet committee meeting the day before between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and several other senior ministers.

Friday’s meeting, Jala said, was held among himself, Abdul Gani, and representatives from the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) and other relevant Christian groups.

“At the end of this meeting, the representatives from Christian groups requested for time to meet and discuss and have advised the government that they would revert on their decision as soon as practicable,” he said.

Jala also said that Najib and the special Cabinet committee had formally authorised him and Abdul Gani to convey the government’s proposed solutions to the Christian groups.

He clarified that his appointment to this task was in his capacity as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, a Christian and as he was the only Cabinet member who was not a member of any political party.

“The government wants this matter to be resolved amicably in a non-partisan manner and in line with the spirit of 1 Malaysia.

“The Attorney-General’s involvement is obviously necessary because we have to ensure that the solution must be in the context of the existing laws of the country,” he clarified.

Earlier, Jala’s announcement on the Bibles’ release had been called into question by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who raised suspicion over the government’s sincerity in the decision as the minister was not elected but appointed.

(Malaysian Digest) - An email, purportedly written by 'Datuk T', is being circulated among members of the media stating that the sex clip said to depict Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not be surrendered to the Opposition leader, his wife or the police.

Instead, Datuk T is prepared to hand over the video and the Omega watch supposedly belonging to Anwar to be scrutinized by a “public commission” comprising media practitioners and NGOs.

The mysterious ‘Datuk’ said his decision comes after Anwar lodged a police report this morning denying any involvement in the sex video.

He explained that if the clip is handed to the police, Anwar would claim that the authorities are conspiring against him if the outcome of investigations is unfavorable to the PKR de facto leader.

“Therefore I have decided not to hand over the recording to the authorities. I will hand it to the proposed public commission comprising the media and NGOs,” the email said.

“I presume that he (Anwar) and his wife are not interested to receive a copy of the recording from me next Monday.

“Therefore I am calling on the media fraternity and NGOs to immediately form an independent public commission to investigate the authenticity of the tape.

"The commission can engage forensic experts from whichever country to verify the authenticity of the recording.”

He said he will also hand over the Omega wrist watch, believed to belong to the politician and said to have been left in the room where the video clip was recorded.

“The commission can send the watch to forensic experts to find out if DNA found on the watch matches Anwar's,” he said.

The authenticity of the email is yet to be verified. It is said that it was distributed to the press by a senior journalists from an English-language daily several hours after Anwar lodged a police report.

The subject of the orginal email reads: 'pls send top alternative media, bh, utusan dah dapat' (Please send this letter to top alternative media organisations. Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia have received it).

Yesterday, a 'Datuk T' had organized a tightly controlled screening of the sex tape at the Carcosa Seri Negara hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

He refused to identify himself or allow himself to be photographed and did not he give away his contact details.

The statement said a copy of the tape would be sent to Anwar and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in seven days and they would then have seven more days to quit politics.

Anwar had called a press conference yesterday to deny the allegation.

The top leaders from Pakatan Rakyat also held a press conference in parliament earlier today to reject the allegation of Anwar’s involvement in the sex video.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s opposition pledged Tuesday to fight allegations that Anwar Ibrahim was filmed having sex with a prostitute, insisting its leader’s troubles won’t fracture his three-party alliance ahead of national elections expected within a year.

A sex video depicting a man believed to resemble Anwar was shown to several Malaysian journalists under mysterious circumstances Monday. It has not been publicly circulated, but opposition officials are scrambling to convince people that it is a plot hatched by the government.

Prime Minister Najib Razak denied authorities made the video, which marks the latest accusation of sexual misconduct confronting Anwar. He is currently on trial on charges he sodomized a 25-year-old male former aide and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Anwar’s top allies held a news conference Tuesday to voice their support for him, claiming the video was simply the latest effort to smear Anwar’s reputation.

“All Malaysians must express their outrage and condemnation that Malaysian politics have reached a new depth of character assassination,” said Lim Kit Siang, a veteran official in the Democratic Action Party.

The opposition believes the release of the video was timed ahead a key state election on Borneo island expected next month. Anwar’s alliance needs to perform well in the election to boost its flagging morale ahead of snap national polls that many believe Najib will call by early 2012.

A group of people who refused to identify themselves summoned journalists from several Malaysian newspapers and websites Monday to a hotel, where they privately screened a 20-minute video of a man having sex with a woman.

The group’s representative claimed the woman was a prostitute from China, the Malaysiakini news website said. He alleged it was made at a Kuala Lumpur hotel Feb. 21, but Anwar insists he was at home with his family that night.

Anwar filed a police complaint Tuesday seeking an investigation into what he described as “an orchestrated attempt to force my wife and me out of national politics.”

“I will fight them, and I will fight them hard,” Anwar said.

Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Cabinet minister responsible for parliamentary affairs, on Tuesday criticized opposition leaders for blaming the government for the video.

“The opposition always says it is the work” of the ruling coalition, Malaysiakini quoted Nazri as saying. “You have problems in your party, solve it.”

KOTA BAHARU, March 22 (Bernama) -- A former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) senior member says it was still not too late for the opposition, especially PAS, to review their relationship with PKR which is embroiled in an illicit sex video scandal implicating an opposition leader.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said the opposition parties associated with PKR should review their status since there have been too many questionable issues affecting the integrity of the PKR de facto leader, including the latest sex video scandal.

"By right, PAS should have reviewed the relationship a long time ago because it involves the integrity and capability of the leader, not only involving opposition parties but Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders as well.

"Too much time is focused on the question of Anwar's integrity. Such efforts and time should have been used to think of the peoples' problems instead and a definite solution must be found or taken," he told reporters after giving his statement at the Kota Baharu police headquarters here Tuesday.

Zaid who is the Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (KITA) party president was at the police station to give his statement in connection with a report lodged against DAP chairman Karpal Singh.

Last Saturday, Zaid had lodged a police report claiming that DAP chairman Karpal Singh had threatened him following his statement urging Anwar Ibrahim to provide DNA samples.

Zaid added that Anwar should relinquish his post if he was involved in the sex video scandal.

"I have not seen the video but I had the opportunity to view it, I can make a comment but if it is true, he must quit," he said.

However, he expressed surprise because some senior PKR members, including their leader, had refuted and defended such allegations involving the opposition leader in the video sex scandal, even before viewing the video.

"I am surprised that they can comment on the issue even before watching the video," said Zaid who urged PKR leaders to stop claiming that it was a conspiracy.